Better yet - http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/Maxlife_ATF.pdf
Says synthetic prominently on the product sheet.
Says synthetic prominently on the product sheet.
Maxlife ATF or stick with Toy T-IV?
- Thread starter Eosyn
- Start date
- Status
Thanks for posting the Valvoline ATF website.READ CAREFULLY:. Valoline does NOT meet the T-IV spec. Valvoline ONLY states it is suitable. Since that is on the Valvoline website and is gospel then I definitely would not use it in my AT that specs T-IV. I'm sure you won't do damage but, since it doens,t meet the required spec, then it is not optimised for T-IV use.
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: yaris0128
I like to hear someone doing regular but not TOO often ATF changes. Kudos sir! I would more than likely just take it in to get changed at Toyota for the fact that they have the ability to flush the transmission and you dont.
Tyvm for your compliment, considering I don't know much about cars, but am learning a lot on DIY procedures thanks to special guidance from BITOG posters here. I want to do the drain and fill myself for 1) experience and 2)save some $$, since my last ATF change at Firestone cost me $170.00, I don't have the spare $140-150 for a technician to do it for me. I like to save my hard earned money where-ever I can but still get the best items for my vehicles since my family are dependent on our vehicles. The best way to do that, I've found, is to do the labor myself.
Thanks for all the posts to my question. After having a day off where I can shop around and also search online, this is my conclusion that I've come to.
1. Love the Mobil ATF 3309 since my manual specifically states to use JWS-3309 fluids. Problem: unable to find OTC. only found online in cases of 12, for ~ $5.29/qt.
2. Walmart and Meijer (regional chain) only has Maxlife and SuperTech brand. Maxlife is $4.49/qt.
3. Toyota dealer (35 miles east of me) wants $7.00/qt for T-IV. another Toy dealer (44 miles North of me) wants 5/qt.
I'm down to 2 options I'm considering. 1) get the case of 12 Mobil ATF 3309 online and stock what's left over since I own 2 Toys and can use it in both or 2) simply get the 4 qts of Maxlife for $4.49/qt.
Does anyone know how long ATF is good for in the bottle? I prob. won't need again for another 3-4 yrs, so if I purchase a case now, would it still be good in 5 yrs?
I like to hear someone doing regular but not TOO often ATF changes. Kudos sir! I would more than likely just take it in to get changed at Toyota for the fact that they have the ability to flush the transmission and you dont.
Tyvm for your compliment, considering I don't know much about cars, but am learning a lot on DIY procedures thanks to special guidance from BITOG posters here. I want to do the drain and fill myself for 1) experience and 2)save some $$, since my last ATF change at Firestone cost me $170.00, I don't have the spare $140-150 for a technician to do it for me. I like to save my hard earned money where-ever I can but still get the best items for my vehicles since my family are dependent on our vehicles. The best way to do that, I've found, is to do the labor myself.
Thanks for all the posts to my question. After having a day off where I can shop around and also search online, this is my conclusion that I've come to.
1. Love the Mobil ATF 3309 since my manual specifically states to use JWS-3309 fluids. Problem: unable to find OTC. only found online in cases of 12, for ~ $5.29/qt.
2. Walmart and Meijer (regional chain) only has Maxlife and SuperTech brand. Maxlife is $4.49/qt.
3. Toyota dealer (35 miles east of me) wants $7.00/qt for T-IV. another Toy dealer (44 miles North of me) wants 5/qt.
I'm down to 2 options I'm considering. 1) get the case of 12 Mobil ATF 3309 online and stock what's left over since I own 2 Toys and can use it in both or 2) simply get the 4 qts of Maxlife for $4.49/qt.
Does anyone know how long ATF is good for in the bottle? I prob. won't need again for another 3-4 yrs, so if I purchase a case now, would it still be good in 5 yrs?
Last edited:
I don't care about the verbiage of "suitable"
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Admittedly, some of the improvement may be from the transmission breaking in, the TCM adjusting to my driving style and 80,000+ miles of me adjusting to it (got it with 25,000 miles on the odometer), but it never does that explosive banging downshift since I switched to MaxLife.
If you absolutely must have T-IV, Perhaps the Ford dealer will have some Motorcraft Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid for the AW F21 6-speed transmission for a lower cost
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Admittedly, some of the improvement may be from the transmission breaking in, the TCM adjusting to my driving style and 80,000+ miles of me adjusting to it (got it with 25,000 miles on the odometer), but it never does that explosive banging downshift since I switched to MaxLife.
If you absolutely must have T-IV, Perhaps the Ford dealer will have some Motorcraft Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid for the AW F21 6-speed transmission for a lower cost
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I don't care about the verbiage of "suitable"
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Both of my Toys do that also when I'm in Cruise mode and it has a hill to climb. After changing the ATF on my Celica (toyota T-IV) it would downshift (while in cruise going up a hill) and would not shift back into the correct gear once the speed is back up. That's another reason why I'm looking into aftermarket ATF for my Corolla.
Since you have not experienced that crazy downshift since using Maxlife, you've just convinced me to get the Maxlife. thanks for the post!
I don't care about the verbiage of "suitable"
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Both of my Toys do that also when I'm in Cruise mode and it has a hill to climb. After changing the ATF on my Celica (toyota T-IV) it would downshift (while in cruise going up a hill) and would not shift back into the correct gear once the speed is back up. That's another reason why I'm looking into aftermarket ATF for my Corolla.
Since you have not experienced that crazy downshift since using Maxlife, you've just convinced me to get the Maxlife. thanks for the post!
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Eosyn
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I don't care about the verbiage of "suitable"
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Both of my Toys do that also when I'm in Cruise mode and it has a hill to climb. After changing the ATF on my Celica (toyota T-IV) it would downshift (while in cruise going up a hill) and would not shift back into the correct gear once the speed is back up. That's another reason why I'm looking into aftermarket ATF for my Corolla.
Since you have not experienced that crazy downshift since using Maxlife, you've just convinced me to get the Maxlife. thanks for the post!
Oh!
I forgot about it doing that! Even more obvious in the AW trans equipped Mazda because the gear indicator shows the gear all the time. Not just in manual mode. With T-IV, it would crest the hill and the "5" would just sit there in the middle of the instrument cluster. Mocking me. I could switch to the manual gate, select 6th, go back to "D" and it would be fine for awhile but it would eventually do it again. Since 60,000 miles, I cannot remember it doing that.
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I don't care about the verbiage of "suitable"
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Both of my Toys do that also when I'm in Cruise mode and it has a hill to climb. After changing the ATF on my Celica (toyota T-IV) it would downshift (while in cruise going up a hill) and would not shift back into the correct gear once the speed is back up. That's another reason why I'm looking into aftermarket ATF for my Corolla.
Since you have not experienced that crazy downshift since using Maxlife, you've just convinced me to get the Maxlife. thanks for the post!
Oh!
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: Eosyn
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I don't care about the verbiage of "suitable"
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Both of my Toys do that also when I'm in Cruise mode and it has a hill to climb. After changing the ATF on my Celica (toyota T-IV) it would downshift (while in cruise going up a hill) and would not shift back into the correct gear once the speed is back up. That's another reason why I'm looking into aftermarket ATF for my Corolla.
Since you have not experienced that crazy downshift since using Maxlife, you've just convinced me to get the Maxlife. thanks for the post!
Oh!
I forgot about it doing that! Even more obvious in the AW trans equipped Mazda because the gear indicator shows the gear all the time. Not just in manual mode. With T-IV, it would crest the hill and the "5" would just sit there in the middle of the instrument cluster. Mocking me. I could switch to the manual gate, select 6th, go back to "D" and it would be fine for awhile but it would eventually do it again. Since 60,000 miles, I cannot remember it doing that.
But, keep it mind the ECU has control of which gear transmission is in, not the fluid.
All though, I don't doubt that the Maxlife ATF has helped. But that's definitely not the main reason.
Originally Posted By: Eosyn
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
I don't care about the verbiage of "suitable"
With T-IV, if I didn't use the manual mode when exiting a corner in a spirited manner, it would bang down into a lower gear real hard. Very disconcerting.
Both of my Toys do that also when I'm in Cruise mode and it has a hill to climb. After changing the ATF on my Celica (toyota T-IV) it would downshift (while in cruise going up a hill) and would not shift back into the correct gear once the speed is back up. That's another reason why I'm looking into aftermarket ATF for my Corolla.
Since you have not experienced that crazy downshift since using Maxlife, you've just convinced me to get the Maxlife. thanks for the post!
Oh!
But, keep it mind the ECU has control of which gear transmission is in, not the fluid.
All though, I don't doubt that the Maxlife ATF has helped. But that's definitely not the main reason.
For those of you who live in Western Pennsylvania Frank's Auto Supermarket in Greensburg is selling Mobil 3309 ATF for $3.99 a quart.
- Status